Label-lock



CHARLES I-I. R. GODFREY, OF SOUTH NORIVALK, CONNECTICUT.

LABEL-LOCK.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 576,571, dated February9, 1897.

Application filed APTil 23, 1896. Serial No. 588,705. (No model.)

VTo @ZZ whom t may concern.-

Be it known that I, CHARLES I-I. R. GOD- FREY, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at South Norwalk, in the county of Fairfield and Stateof Connecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inLabel- Locks; and I do hereby declare the following to be afull, clear,and exact description ofthe invention, such as will enable othersskilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention has for its object to provide a label-lock adapted forgeneral use, as, for example, upon mailbags or freight-cars, which shallbe simple and inexpensive to produce, strong and durable, and thoroughlypractical in use.

With these ends in view I have devised the novel label-lock, of whichthe following description, in connection with the accompanyin gdrawings, is a specification, numbers being used to designate theseveral parts.

Figure l is a plan view illustrating the application of my novel lock toa mail-bag strap; Fig. 2, a section on the line 5c w in Fig. l; Fig. 3,a view corresponding with Fig. l, eX- cept that the locking-block isremoved; Fig. 4, a similar view showing the application of my inventionto a hasp-lock, and Fig. 5 is a view showing the cap-plate of thelockingblock removed and illustrating a simple form of lockingmechanism. I

l denotes the label-holder, which is provided with a longitudinal slot 2to receive a strap 3. This slot may extend entirely through thelabel-holder, as clearly shown in Fig. 2, as when the lock is used inconnection with a leather strap, or the label-holder may be madeintegral with a hasp 4, as when the lock is used upon a car-door or anyanalogous use, the strap in this instance being preferably of metal.

5 denotes the label, which may be made of paper, metal, or any suitablesubstance, and which is adapted to slide into a socket 6 in thelabel-holder.

7 denotes the locking-block, which just fits a recess S at one end ofthe label-holder. IVithin the locking-block I place suitable lockingmechanism, which, however, specifically forms no portion of my presentinvention.

In Fig. 5 I have shown a simple form of locking mechanism consisting,essentially, of spring-actuated tumblers, which are adapted to engagelocking-recesses 1.0 in a stud l1, which extend upward from the bottomof the label-holder and in recess 8. When a leather strap is used, as inlocking a mail-bag, the strap is passed through slot 2, as clearlyshownin Fig. 2, stud l1 being passed through one of the holes in the strap toretain the lock in position thereon. A buckle may or may not be used, asshown in Fig. l.

Having passed the strap one or more times around the. bag or otherarticles to be locked, the strap may be retained in the tightenedposition by the buckle, and then the end of the strap passed into slot 2and stud ll passed through one of the holes near the end of the strap,as is clearly shown in Fig. 2, the end of the strap lying above theother portion of the strap. After the label has been slipped into thesocket the bag is locked, v

and the label also locked in the socket by placing locking-block 7 inrecesses 8 and causing stud 1l to pass through an opening l2 in theunder side of the locking-block, tumblers 9 being forced back to allowthe head 13 of the stud to pass and then engaging the locking-recessesafter the head has passed to retain the locking-block in the lockedposition. The operation is the same when the label-holder is madeintegral with a hasp, as shown in Fig. 5. In this forni the strap may ormay not be made of metal and is provided with a hole through which stud1l passes in approximately the same manner as before. The outer side ofthe lockingblock is provided with a keyhole let, through which a key ispassed to actuate the tumblers against the power of their springs torelease stud 1l. As soon as the tumblers have been disengaged from thelocking-recesses in the stud the locking-block may be removed from thelabel-holder. The end of the strap may then be removed from the recessand the bag, car-door, or other article upon which the lock is used maybe opened and the label may be removed fromits socket. To lock the IOOstrap in position, the key is not required, it being simply necessary toplace the lockingbleck over the stud, the latter registering withopening` 1:2, and press the locking-block to place in recess S.

It should be noted that the locking-blocks are made il'iterchangeable,it being` intended when the leek is used upon mail-bags that the lockingmechanism in a number of lecking-blocks be made to be controlled by asingle key in precisely the same manner that ordinary mail-bag,1 locksare controlled, that :iste say, the locking,` mechanism of all thelocking-blocks are controlled by one key and every person Whose businessit is to open mail-bags is provided with a key and also, if required,with extra locking-blocks. In locking up a mail-bag, therefore, it issimply necessary to take any7 locking-block an d place it in position enany label-holder.

Having thus described my invention, I. claiml. Alabel-lock consisting ofa label-holder provided with a socket to receive a label, a longitudinalslot to receive a strap, a recess,

a sind extendingl upward `from the betteln elf the label-holder in slet2 and a bodily-detachable locking-bleck which is adapted te engage therecess and obstruct the label-passage and is provided with lockingmechanism which engages the stud. y

2. A label-lock consisting of a label-holder provided with a socket toreceive a label, a longitudinal slot to receive a strap, a recess, astud extending upward from the bottom of the labelshelder in slot 2 andprovided with locking-recesses l0, a bodily-detachable lecking-blockwhich is adapted to engage the re cess in the holder and obstruct thelabel-passage and is provided with locking mechanism and an opening' inits under side which receives the stud, the locking mechanism engaggingthe locking-recesses in the stud.

In testimony whereof I ax my signature in presence of tivo Witnesses.

CI'IA'RLES Il. l. GODliRlC'Y.

Witnesses:

A. M. \VOOS"En,

V. Rronannsrm-

